Travellers warned of train chaos due to engineering works over half-term weekend
Travellers have been warned of extremely busy train services over the weekend due to a series of engineering works which are being carried out on the East Coast Main Line.
People who would normally travel with LNER are being strongly advised to follow alternative arrangements, while others are being told to travel on Friday (Feb 20) or Monday (Feb 23) if possible.
Anyone planning to travel at the weekend is advised to allow extra time for their journey due to the ‘extremely busy’ services.
Network Rail is carrying out significant upgrades on the East Coast Main Line and on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly over the course of the weekend.
Manchester travel
There will be no East Midlands Railway (EMR) services north-west of Sheffield due to £8 million of upgrades being carried out on the approach to Manchester Piccadilly.
People can still travel to Manchester, but the journeys are expected to take longer and will involve changing trains.
All EMR services will terminate at Sheffield, so customers should change at Chesterfield for a replacement bus to Manchester. The buses are being timed to connect with train arrivals.
An alternative option to to travel via the TransPennine Express or Northern services from Sheffield towards Stockport and pick up a rail replacement bus.
London travel
No LNER trains will run between London King’s Cross and Peterborough as part of digital signalling upgrades. It means any EMR services to and from London St Pancras are expected to see more passengers.
Customers are being advised that there will be a queueing system in place at St Pancras, it may not be possible to board their intended service and EMR trains between Sheffield and London are expected to be extremely busy.
EMR said customers who would normally travel with LNER, should follow alternative travel arrangements rather than travelling via EMR services.
LNER customers who wish to travel to or from London St Pancras should:
- Travel on Thameslink services to/from Bedford
- Change at Bedford for the dedicated rail replacement bus services to/from Peterborough
- Continue their journey from Peterborough on LNER services
- Following this advice will help provide a smoother journey for everyone.
Philippa Cresswell, Customer Experience Director at East Midlands Railway, said: “These upgrades are essential for improving the reliability of the railway, but they do mean services will look different for customers travelling.
“Our London services are expected to be extremely busy this weekend and customers should allow extra time, particularly at St Pancras where a queuing system will be in place. They should also consider taking their trip on Friday or Monday if possible.
“We also strongly encourage customers to check their journey before travelling and to follow alternative travel advice where provided, so we can keep everyone moving as smoothly as possible this weekend."